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Originally posted by Groundhog Britain and Ireland adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752. There was no September 3rd to 13th that year. Sept 2nd was followed by Sept 14th. There were cries of Give us our eleven days back from the gullible who thought their lives were now 11 days shorter than they should be etc. One effect of this change in Ireland is that the Battle of the Boyne is celebrated by Orangemen on July 12th though it was actually fought on July 1st 1690.

Seeing as this is the start of March, one should also note that the year used to end in March (hence the old end of tax year at the start of April), not December. March 1550 was immediately followed by April 1551. There is a detailed explanation in the money / coin section in the National Museum Collins Barracks.

The Castle Hill Rising or Irish Convict Rebellion took place in Australia. It began when the prisoners seized control of the New South Wales convict station at Parramatta and ended the following day when government troops of the New South Wales Corps and the settlers' Loyal Associations defeated 400 rebels at Vinegar Hill (where else) ten miles from Castle Hill. 15 rebels were killed. One of the leaders was Clonmelman Philip Cunningham who had been transported for his part in the 1798 Rebellion. This time they hung him (on March 5th) and eight others later.

1852

Lady Isabella Gregory (nee Persse) was born in Roxborough House, near Loughrea, Co. Galway. She became interested in Irish culture and folklore after the death of her husband in 1891. She learned to speak Irish at the age of 50 and founded the Abbey Theatre with W B Yeats in 1904. She wrote over 40 plays herself in addition to poems and essays. Her most famous plays included Spreading the News (1904), The Gaol Gate (1906), and The Rising of the Moon (1907). She died in 1932.

2001

The Real IRA bombed the BBC in London. One person injured.

Died

1915

14550 Driver Daniel McCarthy, Royal Artillery. Died in France, from Fethard, Co. Tipperary.

1921

74691 Constable Samuel Beasant. RIC. Born Wiltshire 19/3/1895. He was shot dead in a pub in Cashel, Co. Tipperary.

The Boston Massacre took place in America. Five colonists in a crowd shouting insults at British soldiers, were killed when the troops opened fire. Captain Preston and the seven men under his command were tried and Preston and five of the soldiers were acquitted of manslaughter. The two guilty men were branded on the hand. The men were defended by John Adams, future President and who’s cousin had been a leader of the mob. In their defence he said that the soldiers had been assaulted by a “motley rabble of saucy boys, Negroes and mulattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish Jack Tarres.” Nice one John. (Moderators please note quotation marks.The words are John Adams, not mine)

The regiment to which the troops belonged, 29th Foot- The Worcestershire Regiment- gained the nickname the Vein Openers because they were blamed for starting the American Revolutionary War.

1867

The Battle of Tallaght

The Battle of Tallaght occurred during the Fenian rising on 5th March 1867. Actually it was a disastrous raid on the Constabulary barracks in the village which was manned by 14 constables and a head constable under Inspector Burke.The police took up positions outside their barracks from which they commanded the roads from both Greenhills and Templeogue. The first assault of about 40 Fenians came under heavy fire from the police. They retreated dragging with them a wounded comrade who had been bayoneted by a constable .They left behind a cart of ammunition.The second attack by the Fenians was comprised of 500 men. They too were driven back by a hail of bullets from the police. Inspector Burke called on them to surrender in the name of the Queen and said that there were a large number of police with him behind the barricades. The Fenians retreated down the same road from which they approached. A third assault about midnight also failed. Finally, around a thousand Fenians opened fire on the police barricade. Before fleeing the Fenians had several men wounded in an exchange of gunfire. In 1963 a skeleton was found in a hollowed out tree near the badminton club in Terenure armed with a sword. This man must have taken refuge in the tree after one of the number of retreats during that night. He could have died from wounds or exposure since there was blizzard blowing that night.
Other rebellious acts about the country were equally successful.

1936

The Supermarine Spitfire made its maiden flight in Southampton England.

1942

George Plant. IRA. Executed by firing squad in Portlaois Prison for the murder of Michael Devereux near Grangemockler, Co. Tipperary. Devereux was murdered as an informer, a charge of which he was probably innocent. After the collapse of his civil trial Plant was tried by military tribunal, sentenced and executed. Sean McBride had been his defence counsel and he later proved the emergency legislation under which Plant was tried unconstitutional. Plant was a native of Fethard Co. Tipperary and, unusually for a member of the IRA, a Protestant. He was reinterred in St Johnstown graveyard near Fethard where the local republicans still hold a graveside oration on Easter Sunday.

1943

The maiden flight of the Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first jet fighter. Britain was the only allied power to have an operational jet squadron (616 Squadron) by the end of WW2.

1953

Frank Drohan died in Clonmel. He formed a branch of the Irish Volunteers in the town in 1913 and fought in the War of Independence.

John Redmond MP died. He was born in 1856 in Co. Wexford, he was first elected to parliament in 1880 as MP for New Ross until 1885, North Wexford 1885-1891 and for Waterford City from 1891 until his death. Redmond supported Parnell during the IPP split in 1891 and was elected leader of the party after reunification in 1900. He led the party until 1918. He was committted to achieving Irish independence without violence and almost succeeded, Home Rule being delayed by the outbreak of the Great War in 1914. He was instrumental in the formation of the two southern Irish Divisions in the war, which led to a split in the Irish Volunteers. By the time of his death the execution of the 1916 leaders and the rise of Sinn Fein signalled the death of Home Rule and Redmond’s IPP.

1923

At Castleisland, Co Kerry six members of the Free State Army were killed when clearing a booby trapped road block. One was a Lt O'Connor.

1924

The Army Mutiny was precipitated by the delivery of a note from the Irish Republican Army Organisation to William Cosgrave. In the aftermath of the Civil War the government began to downsize the Army. This plan did not find favour with a number of officers who had, they said, supported the treaty on the understanding that it was a stepping stone to a full republic. The ultimatum, signed by Maj-Gen Liam Tobin and Col Charles Dalton, demanded an end to demobilisation and the removal of the Army Council, a reply to be delivered by March 12th. The government ordered the arrests of Tobin and Dalton, while a symapthetic Government Minister, Joe McGrath resigned in protest. Eoin O'Duffy, the Garda Commissioner was appointed Army Chief of Staff.

The crisis exposed the truth that the Free State, recently victorious in the Civil War, was not a happy place with tensions existing between the government and the army and emnity between individual members of the administration. The real crisis however came, not on the 12th of March but a week later when the Adjt-Gen Gearóid o' Sullivan took a unilateral decision to raid a Dublin Hotel where members of the IRAO were supposedly planning a coup d'état. Kevin O'Higgins in his capacity as Minister for Home Affairs rang Gen Richard Mulcahy, Minister for Defence and demanded the resignation of the Army Council. Mulcahy resigned as Minister for Defence and O'Higgins asserted the primacy of the civil administration over the Army.

1965

The U.S. announced that it would send 3,500 troops to Vietnam.

1988

Operation Flavius in Gibraltar led to the SAS shooting dead three members of the Provisional IRA- Mairead Farrell, Danny McCann and Sean Savage. The three were on a reconnaissance mission prior to planting a bomb.

Died

1919

Pierce McCan TD from Templemore Co. Tipperary in Gloucester Prison, England. The Garda Training College is in McCan Bks, in Templemore.

1920

Vol Patrick Clancy IRA. KIA Drangan, Co. Tipperary.

1921

Comdt Pat Hogan IRA. KIA Derryclooney, Cahir, Co. Tipperary

IRA Officers Killed in action during a raid on a 3rd Tipperary Bde meeting near Drangan, Co. Tipperary.

Capt D Fleming.
Adjt Martin Clancy.
Lt Patrick Hackett.

Denis Croke and Maurice Walsh were arrested at the same time, Croke being wounded.

Richard Fleming, Thomas Larkin and Patrick Hackett Civilians killed by Black and Tans in Drangan. They shouted “Up the IRA” at the wrong time.

The Pope turned down Henry VIII’s application for divorce so Henry declares himself Head of the English Church, a decision we are still living with today.

1923

Eight Republican prisoners were killed when Free State soldiers tied them to a booby trapped road block at Ballysheedy, Co. Kerry. Nine prisoners, Stephen Fuller, John Daly, George Shea, Timothy Twomey, Patrick Hartnett, James Connell, John O'Connor, Patrick Buckley and James Walsh, had been taken from Tralee barracks, ostensibly to clear the road block. In reality they were killed in retaliation for the deaths of Free State soldiers the day before. Stephen Fuller survived when the soldiers detonated the mine because he was thrown clear into bushes unseen by the soldiers.

"Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

Its actually Ballyseedy. And the Kerrymen have never forgiven the free state for it..

I got the impression that the republican movement in general are still quite bitter about it. Which is pretty rich considering the IRA's history. One commenator says that the "Free State Army" has never gotten over the shame of Ballyseedy. 99.9% of the DF has never heard of Ballyseedy and quite possibly many of them are unaware of the fact taht we had a Civil War. A good quote from the local Free State Commander- "Nobody asked me to take any kid gloves to Kerry and I didn't take them".

The following is worth a read. Although it is slanted towards modern day republican propaganda, it has some basis in fact if one can get past the emotive "riddled bodies", "slaughtered while they slept" etc, etc. War is hell, Dorothy.

William of Orange ,William III of England from 1689 died aged 51 after falling from his horse. Anne Stuart his sister-in-law, succeeded to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland and reigned until 1714.

Third Engineer Officer Philip Thornton. S.S. Tielbank, Merchant Navy. Son of Matthew and Winifred Thornton, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. The Tielbank was part of convoy SL 57 which was escorted by the battleship Malaya and two destroyers. The 52 ship convoy, bound for London, was attacked 400 miles west of Capo Blanco, Mauretania at 0250 Hrs on the 8th of March 1941 by U-124. Five ships were lost including Tielbank, the others being-Harmodius, Nardana, Lahore and Hindpool.

1943

Able Seaman James Durkin, S.S. Fort Lamy. Merchant Navy. Son of John and Mary Durkin, of Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.Age 24. Fort Lamy was part of convoy SC 122 and she was sunk by a U-Boat south of Greenland.

1945

Capt John Keany. Royal Irish Fusiliers. KIA Italy while serving with SOE. From Cork.

Slaves from the Amistad were acquitted of mutiny by the US Supreme Court. John Quincy Adams was the defence lawyer.

1932

Eamonn De Valera became Taoiseach for the first time. Among his Fianna Fail TDs was Dan Breen, who used a phone box in Leinster House to hide in while he assembled a Thompson sub machine gun just in case Cumann na Gael refused to hand over power.

1974

Lt Hiroo Onoda of the Imperial Japanese Army finally called it a day. Having held out for a mere 29 years on Lubang Island in the Philippines, Onoda surrendered to the Filipino authorities. He still had his rifle, 500 rounds and a few grenades. Lt Onoda drew his back pay and retired to a ranch in Brazil, having decided he did not like the new Japan.

Good as he was Lt Onoda fell short of Capt Fumio Nakahira, who surrendered in April 1980, but he was much better than Corporal Shoichi Yokoi who jacked it in on Guam in 1972 regretting that he “did not serve his majesty to my satisfaction."

Third Radio Officer John Nunan, S.S. Clarissa Radcliffe. Merchant Navy. Son of Catherine Nunan, of Ballysheedy, Co. Limerick. Age 21. The Clarissa Radcliffe was part of Convoy SC-122 sailing from New York to Britain. She was last seen by friendly ships on March 9th when she became detached from the convoy and supposedly sailed on alone for Britain. She was reported sunk by U-663 on March 18th. Presumably the crew are reported lost from the last date of sighting by friendly craft. A good account of the attacks on this convoy is at-

The Battle of Neuve Chapelle began in France. Neuve Chapelle is a village near La Basee in Northern France. It was captured by the Germans on 28th October 1914 and created a salient in the British line. Initially intended as a major offensive, the attack became a local one due to the redirection of troops to Gallipoli. A 35 minute bombardment preceded the assault on the village which was captured in 4 hours. The Germans were outnumbered, outflanked and surprised and even a counterattack on the 12th failed to recapture the village. The battle ended on March 13th . Total allied losses were 11,200 (British and Indian). The 35 minute bombardment of Neuve Chapelle expended more shells than were fired in the entire Boer War. The 1st Bn Royal Irish Rifles was the only Irish unit involved, but L/Cpl Noremac (below) was killed in this battle with the 2nd Bn Scottish Rifles.

1944

A British demand that all Axis envoys be deported from the Irish Free State was dismissed by De Valera.

Cpl William Nash, a Limerickman serving in the Rifle Brigade in the Indian Mutiny earned a Victoria Cross at Lucknow for rescuing a wounded comrade under fire.

1953

Mary Harney was born in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. She is leader of the Progressive Democrats, Tánaiste and Minister for Health at the moment.

1974

Kenneth and Keith Littlejohn broke out of Mountjoy Prison. Jailed in 1973 for a £67,000 heist at a Dublin bank, during their trial they claimed they were M16 spies working for the British Government against the IRA.

King James II landed in Ireland after the Glorious Revolution had given the throne to his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange.

1832

Charles Boycott was born in Norfolk. He is one of those men whose name has become part of the English language because when he was an estate agent for Lord Erne in Co. Mayo about 1880, he was ignored by the locals, even his own servants. Hence to boycott. He was once forced to import Orangemen, guarded by 1000 soldiers, to harvest a crop at a cost of £10000 or, as Parnell put it, a shilling a turnip. Charles Boycott died in 1897.

1938

Germany annexed Austria at the invitation of Austrian Nazis.

1944

The British government banned travel between Britain and the Irish Free State.

1945

Ann Frank died in Belsen concentration camp.

Off the south coast of Cork the German submarine U-260 hit a mine and was scuttled at 51.15N, 09.05W. All 48 crew survived and were interned in Ireland.

Able Seaman Thomas Gillen. Merchant Navy aboard S.S. Stanleigh. Son of Peter and Sarah Gillen, of Rosses Point, Co. Sligo. Age 23. The Stanleigh was sunk off the Welsh coast by the Luftwaffe. 20 men were lost.

Fr Nicholas Sheehy was hung, drawn and quartered outside Clonmel Jail (where Fennessy’s Hotel stands today in Gladstone St). He was framed for being a leader of the Whiteboys in Clogheen, Co. Tipperary of which he was Parish Priest and for the murder of a John Bridges. An accomplice, Edward Meehan suffered the same fate. Fr Sheehy’s head was stuck on a spike over the jail gate for 20 years when his family was allowed remove it and inter it with his remains in Shanrahan graveyard. Locally Fr Sheehy has the status of a martyr and a saint. Soil from his grave is supposed to have healing properties. Those who conspired at his trial are all reputed to have met bizarre deaths. Another legend has it that a soldier on guard at the jail removed the head and, with divine assistance, ran with it to Fr Sheehy’s family in Clogheen and back before his relief arrived.

1895

One of the last witch burnings in Europe took place in Ballyvadlea, Co. Tipperary. A woman named Bridget Cleary was supposed by her husband and in laws to be a changeling. Fairies from a nearby rath were supposed to have stolen the real Bridget and left one of their own sickly creatures in her place. Bridget would only be released from the spell which held her in the rath when the changeling confessed, so her relations roasted the woman to death on the kitchen fire over a period of 36 hours. 8 of Bridget’s relations and neighbours were tried and sentenced for manslaughter, her husband receiving 20 years with hard labour. For many years a local childrens rhyme went “Are you a witch or are you a fairy or are you the wife of Michael Cleary?”

1978

22,000 Israeli soldiers crossed into Lebanon as Operation Litani began. The troops advanced into the Lebanon attacking PLO bases in the country. The Operation would last until March 21st and led to the formation of UNIFIL.

1981

IRA terrorist, Francis Hughes started his hunger strike in the Maze Prison.

1999

Rosemary Nelson was killed by a booby-trap bomb as she drove her car in Lurgan, Co. Armagh. The UDA were responsible operating under the cover name of the Red Hand Defenders.

In Milltown Cemetery, Belfast Michael Stone attacked the funerals of the three IRA members killed in Gibraltar on March 6th. He killed four people- Kevin Mulligan, Caoimhin MacBradaigh, Thomas McErlean and John Murray.

March 16th is obviously a day for massacres.

1999

The European Commission resigned. Our own Pee Flynn was one of them.

In the Balkans thousands of Serbian troops and tanks moved into Kosovo.

Patrick R Cleburne was born in Annbrook House, Great Island, County Cork. He served in the 41st Foot before emigrating to the US in 1849. He practiced law in Arkansas until he was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army in 1862. He fought in the western sector of the Civil War and so became less famous that the generals of the eastern front but to his men he was the Stonewall Jackson of the east, consistently out fighting his enemies. Controversially he proposed that the Confederates enlist coloureds in the army in return for freedom, a suggestion that caused him to be overlooked for promotion. Brig Gen Patrick Cleburne was killed in action in Franklin, Tennessee. Nov 30th 1864.

Greaser Laurence Donohoe, Merchant Navy. MV San Demetrio. husband of Julia Donohoe, Dublin. The San Demetrio was a tanker en route from Baltimore, Maryland to Britain with 11,000 tons of fuel on board. She was torpedoed by U-404 at 0215 hrs. 19 men died in the action while 34 survived. The San Demetrio had a short but adventurous life. In November 1940 she was badly damaged by the German Pocket Battleship Admiral Scheer. The crew abandoned ship though she did not sink and they later reboarded her and brought her to harbour. Ealing Studios made a film of this voyage called “San Demetrio, London” in 1943.

1953

Pte Daniel Keogh from Co. Longford, died in Korea serving with the 2nd Division, US Army.

Neville Chamberlain, British prime Minister and the Appeaser of Munich was born. Politicians still haven’t learnt that appeasement does not work.

1893

Wilfred Owen was born. He is famous for his war poetry, inspired by his WW1 service in the Manchester Regiment. He was killed on 4th November 1918.

Anthem for Doomed Youth
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
-Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,-
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Wilfred Owen. August 1917.

1940

At a meeting at the Brenner Pass between Mussolini and Hitler, the Italians agree to join the war against Britain and France.